Ahvaz City Research Articles

The Memory of a Place

This paper focuses on the perceptual-phenomenological experience of place in the Faculty Housing built for professors of Jondishapour University (Shahid Chamran) in the city of Ahvaz in Iran. Based on an historical overview of Ahvaz, the paper employs a phenomenological approach to examine how the memory of childhood home as an inhabited space is associated with sensory engagement and how it is experienced differently over time. Faculty Housing was built in 1967–72 and was designed by the prominent Iranian architect Kamran Diba. Taking into consideration the significant sociocultural factors affecting Ahvaz in 1979–2018, this paper aims to examine and interpret the housing’s architectural and urban images, which have changed considerably over time and are now fallen into disrepair, with a loss of their vital and live atmosphere of the past. In order to achieve this goal, it examines and analyses a number of photographs from the creation of this residential complex and its present status. These include images of different architectural, urban, and landscape features as well as semidetached houses, apartments, the local shop, school, play areas, green spaces, separating brick walls, pools, and benches. In addition, the experiences of twenty-one former inhabitants of Faculty Housing are analysed and constructed through a survey questionnaire, the findings of which suggest that Gaston Bachelard’s phenomenological approach supports the comparative analysis of our imagined past experiences of a special place and new experiences after a considerable passage of time.

Investigating the effect of multimedia education based on the health belief model in preventing COVID-19 in pregnant women

BackgroundPregnant women are considered one of the high-risk groups during the COVID-19 pandemic, so paying attention to preventive behaviors among them is highly important. This study aimed to examine the effect of multimedia education based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) in preventing COVID-19 among pregnant women.MethodsThis quasi-experimental intervention study was conducted on 120 pregnant women referring to Comprehensive Health Services Centers affiliated with East and West health centres of Ahvaz city, Iran, in 2021. Participants were divided into two control (n = 60) and intervention (n = 60) groups. A researcher-made questionnaire was used for data collection. The intervention group was given the required educational content using social networks virtually and multimedia in 12 sessions. Both groups were reinvestigated after two months. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24, independent t-test and paired t-test tests.ResultsThe mean age and mean gestational age of participants were estimated at 28 years old and 18 weeks, respectively. Before the educational intervention, there was no significant difference in mean constructs of HBM. In contrast, the mean of all constructs increased significantly in the intervention group after intervention. The greatest change was related to the constructs of self-efficacy and perceived susceptibility, and the lowest change was related to the perceived barriers construct.ConclusionOur findings suggest multimedia education using the HBM to COVID-19 preventive behaviors among pregnant women can benefit behavior change.

Comparative Assessment of Parents’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Caries Preventive Measures among Elementary School Students with Carious and Healthy Permanent Mandibular First Molars in Ahvaz City

Background and Objectives The first permanent molar teeth develop at the age of 6 to 7 and usually slowly and without concern in the posterior molar second molar. Accordingly, the present study aims to compare parents' knowledge and attitudes about prevention methods. Caries in two groups of primary school children with permanent and deadly molar teeth in Ahvaz city in 1397-98. Subjects and Methods This study was descriptive-analytic. The sample size was 214 children with permanent and impaired primary molars, and their parents were selected according to the formula and randomly. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire. Then it was analyzed by SPSS20 software and descriptive and inferential statistics. Results Parents 'awareness of decay prevention methods in primary school children was very low in deciduous first molars and in children with normal molar teeth, there was a significant difference between parents' knowledge scores (P <0.05). The mean of the answers to all the questions related to parents' attitude in primary school children with the first molars was 6 and in the group with the first molars was 4.99. Parents' performance in children with first molar teeth was desirable and in children with impacted first molar teeth was undesirable. Parental performance of the two groups was significantly different (P <0.05). Conclusion According to the results, not only did parents increase their knowledge and attitudes toward oral health of their children, but also provided the necessary facilities for the implementation and performance of the learning.

The Mediating Role of Postpartum Depression and Childbirth-related PTSD in the Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Postpartum Bonding Among Mothers in Ahvaz City, Iran

Objective: Several studies have explored the correlation between postpartum depression and a weak mother-infant bond; however, fewer studies have analyzed how other postpartum mental health conditions, such as childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or important personal characteristics, including adult attachment styles, affect the quality of the mother-infant bond. This study aims to examine the association between attachment styles and postpartum bonding in mothers, considering the mediating influence of postpartum depression and childbirth-related PTSD. Methods: A total of 150 mothers, 4 to 12 weeks postpartum, completed a demographic questionnaire, the Edinburgh postpartum depression questionnaire, the posttraumatic stress questionnaire related to the birth of a child, the mother-child bonding questionnaire, and the attachment style questionnaire. The posttraumatic stress related to the birth of a child questionnaire was translated into Persian for the first time and was used after confirming its validity and reliability. The proposed model was examined by the structural equation modeling method. Results: The conceptual model’s results showed that the direct and standardized effect of anxious attachment style (β=0.49, P=0.001) and avoidant attachment style (β=0.47, P=0.001) on postpartum depression were significant. Also, the direct effect of anxious attachment style (β=0.59, P=0.001) on postpartum PTSD was significant. However, the coefficient of avoidant attachment style (β=-0.04, P=0.581) was not significant for postpartum PTSD. Also, the coefficients were investigated from the direct effect of postpartum depression, postpartum PTSD, anxious attachment style, and avoidant attachment style. The obtained results showed that postpartum depression (β=0.27, P=0.001), postpartum PTSD (β=0.43, P=0.001), and anxious attachment style (β=0.39, P=0.001) could predict the mother-child bond. However, the avoidant attachment style (β=0.00, P=0.946) could not predict the mother-child bond. Conclusion: The findings of the study revealed that insecure attachment styles were linked to challenges in forming a strong mother-infant bond. Anxious attachment was also associated with bonding difficulties, which were influenced by symptoms of postpartum depression and childbirth-related PTSD. In contrast, a higher degree of avoidant attachment style was associated with more significant difficulties in bonding, which were mediated by symptoms of depression. Accordingly, if interventions aim to enhance the mother-infant bond, treatment should focus on addressing childbirth-related PTSD, PPD symptoms, and insecure attachment styles.

The Association Between Pre-Pregnancy Body Mass Index and Gestational Weight Gain on Pregnancy Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Introduction: Elevated pre-gestational body mass index (obese/overweight) and improper gestational weight gain are important risk factors for predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes. Objective: We aimed to identify the association between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain on birth outcomes. Materials and Methods: Data from this retrospective cohort study were extracted from 1457 (out of 1800) pair health records belonging to the pregnant mother and infants at Ahvaz Iran health care centers from 2010 to 2018. Ten public health care centers were randomly selected from the headquarters west and east of Ahvaz City. The samples were selected based on the inclusion criteria. They divided into different groups based on BMI (underweight, normal, overweight, and obese) and gestational weight gain (GWG) groups (inadequate and excessive versus adequate). Pregnancy outcome was analyzed according to the GWG during pregnancy for each BMI group through multivariable multinomial logistic regression. Relationships between maternal BMI, GWG, and offspring weight were examined. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used with adjusting the baseline values. The risks for adverse birth weight outcomes in women with different pre-pregnancy BMIs and GWGs were tested using the multivariable multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results: The Mean±SD of maternal age was 28.36±5.60 years. The Mean±SD birth weight was 3271.37±486.57 g. About 4.5%, 89.3%, and 6.2% of newborns were low birth weight, normal weight, and macrosomia, respectively. Also, 46.4% of women had weight gain above the guidelines. The increased risk for large for gestational age in overweight mothers (odds ratio [OR] =3.18, 95%CI; 0.45-7.29, P=0.007) and an increased risk for small for gestational age in those mothers with gestational weight gain below the guidelines (OR=2.9, 95%CI; 1.16- 7.45, P=0.02). An increased risk of large for gestational age, low birth weight, and macrosomia were observed in overweight mothers with gestational weight gain out of the guidelines. An increased association was found between the maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and fasting blood sugar in 24 to 28 weeks of gestation. Hence, hyperglycemia is related to the incidence of macrosomia (OR=3.58, 95%CI; 1.70-7.66, P=0.0001). Conclusion: Managing maternal weight with respect to reproductive health care is required for all women in childbearing age (before and during pregnancy) to reduce the adverse pregnancy outcome.

Heavy metals contamination status and health risk assessment of indoor and outdoor dust in Ahvaz and Zabol cities, Iran

Dust pollution is a major threat to human health and ecosystems, highly affecting both the outdoor and indoor air quality, while dust particles are an important carrier of potential toxic elements (PTEs) in urban environments. In this study, the concentrations of selected elements in indoor and outdoor dust samples, pollution and ecological risks, along with human health risk are analyzed in the highly dust-polluted cities of Ahvaz and Zabol, Iran during the spring and summer of 2017. The concentrations of elements related to industrial and urban emissions (e.g., Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr) were significantly higher in Ahvaz than Zabol. In general, weak correlations were found between the same heavy metals of indoor and outdoor dust, except for As, suggesting considerable variations in emission sources. The pollution indices revealed moderate contamination from heavy metals like Cd, As, and to some extent Zn and Pb, in the indoor dust samples, and lower contamination in outdoor dust. In both cities, ingestion was the main pathway of health risk exposure to PTEs, followed by dermal contact and inhalation, for both children and adults. The highest non-carcinogenic and cancer risks of indoor and outdoor dust were related to Cr and As, for both children and adults, while Cd and Pb through the respiratory pathway exhibited the lowest non-carcinogenic and cancer risks, respectively. The hazard index (HI) and the total cancer risk (TCR) were found in safe and tolerable levels (HI < 1 and 10−4 < TCR <10−6) in both cities, although higher in Ahvaz, while the health risk was found similar for outdoor and indoor dust in most cases.

Investigating the expression of cytokeratin 5/6 in benign and malignant breast lesions

Introduction: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women, which is the second most common malignancy in terms of mortality and prevalence after lung cancer. BC is a group of very diverse diseases that can be detected at a molecular, histopathological and clinical level. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression of CK5/6 and its relationship to some of the factors affecting prognosis, such as tumor grade, lymph node involvement. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study with descriptive and analytical aspects, 40 malignant and 20 benign tumors were collected in 2020 from the archives of the pathology department of two educational hospitals in the city of Ahvaz. The demographic and clinical characteristics of each specimen, including age, patient, lymphovascular and perineural invasion, lymph node involvement, tumor grade and tumor type were extracted from the patients’ record. Then the expression of CK5/6 intensity staining was examined by immunohistochemistry. Results: All benign breast lesions had positive expression for CK5/6 and staining intensity between six and nine. In the malignant group, 33 samples showed negative expression of CK5/6 and only seven samples (17.5%) showed positive expression with a low-staining index. A positive expression with a low-staining index. All seven positive specimens were invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) lesions with staining index 2, 4, and 6. Additionally, none of the ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) specimens which immunostained were positive for CK5/6. In the present study, all IDCs with weak expression of CK5/6 were grade III. No statistically significant relationship was observed between perineural and lymphovascular invasion and lymph node involvement with the intensity of CK5/6 expression. Conclusion: Our study showed that cytokeratin immunohistochemical intensity is able to distinguish benign lesions from malignant IDC and DCIS lesions and accordingly in determining of tumor grade after weak staining in high-grade IDC, which may be due to squamous metaplasia in these tumors; however, more extensive research with a larger sample size are required to assess its effect in lymphovascular and perineural invasion and also lymph node involvement.

Development and Validation of a Simple Equation to Predict Fat-Free Mass in the Adult Population.

Estimating Fat-Free Mass (FFM) is an integral part of Body composition measurements, so obtaining an accurate estimation for evaluating FFM is critical for researchers and specialists. We aimed to develop and validate a simple equation for predicting FFM in the adult population. Participants were 1996 adults (1085 men and 911 women), and 18 to 69 years old from Ahvaz City, southern Iran. They were randomly divided into the derivation (n=1396) and the validation (n=600) groups with no significant differences from Jan 2018 to Feb 2020. FFM was measured by Bioelectrical Impedance Analyzer (BIA) (InBody 770©; Biospace, Seoul, South Korea). Based on the demographic variables retrieved from the Derivation group, 8 FFM predictive equations were developed using multiple regression; finally, the most accurate model (using the coefficient of determination (R2)) was chosen and then validated on the Validation group for more evaluation. The best equation derived from demographic characteristics was: "FFM= 0.28 × Weight (kg) + 0.57×Height (cm)+7.35×Sex (M=1, F=0)+0.03×Age (years)-70.61"; where sex = 1 for male and 0 for female. R=0.94, R2=0.89, standard error of the estimate=4.04 kg. Our developed and cross-validated anthropometric prediction equation for fat-free mass estimation using BIA attained a high coefficient of determination, a low standard error of the estimate, and the lowermost coefficient of variation. Predictive equations may be reliable and valuable alternative methods for the clinical evaluation of fat-free mass in the adult population.

Exploring the Family Contexts and the Consequences of the Addiction Phenomenon among Men in the City of Ahvaz

Exploring the Family Contexts and the Consequences of the Addiction Phenomenon among Men in the City of Ahvaz

Common Respiratory Infections in Children Admitted to Aboozar Children's Hospital in Ahvaz City in the First Semester 2021: Frequency, Risk Factors and Clinical Subgroups

Background and Objectives The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of respiratory infections in children admitted to Aboozar Children's Hospital in Ahvaz and the associated risk factors. Subjects and Methods A total of147 children aged 12 years and below admitted to the emergency department were selected for this case-control study, including 96 children with respiratory infections and 51 children without respiratory and/or digestive infections as a control group. Their demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were recorded and statistically compared between the two groups. Results Pneumonia (80.2%), especially pneumonia caused by coronavirus 2019, was the most common type of respiratory infection in children. The prevalence and risk of respiratory complications were significantly higher in boys than in girls (p=0.003). The mean age of children with respiratory infections was also higher than that of the control group (p&lt;0.05). In addition, high body mass index, underlying diseases, low birth weight, reduced or no breastfeeding, a family with many children, parental smoking and air pollution were significantly associated with the high risk of infection (p&lt;0.05). Compared to the control group, the children with respiratory infections had lower levels of red blood cells and lymphocytes, but higher levels of neutrophils (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion Knowledge of diagnostic markers and possible risk factors for respiratory infections in children at the beginning of admission to the ward can play a key role in timely diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Providing a model for improving the quality of education in secondary schools in Ahvaz city using the Foundation's data method

Introduction: Research on the quality of teaching in schools is one of the most important issues, which on one hand is a suitable feedback for the analysis of educational issues, basic decisions and strategic planning at the disposal of officials and those involved in education and on the other hand, knowing the quality of their performance during teaching, teachers will be able to improve their teaching methods and, as a result, increase the quality of their teaching. Here our aim was developing a model for improving the quality of education in Ahvaz secondary schools based on the data theory of the foundation.&#x0D; Methods: This research was practical according to the purpose and the method of study was qualitative.The statistical population was a group of experts including teachers and principals of secondary schools and specialists and experts in the field of education. The interview method was used to collect research data. In the current research, the reliability was done through "checking by participants or interviewees". In addition, in order to confirm and validate the findings of the optimal situation, an interview was conducted with seven educational experts, and the information obtained from the interview process and the quality and depth of the data were confirmed by the group of relevant experts. In this research, the data theory analysis method of the foundation was discussed for the categorization of the interviews.&#x0D; Results: 185 concepts were obtained by classifying these concepts into 23 sub-categories and in the central coding stage, 10 main categories were classified including: :teachers, management and schools, school organization, school environment, school facilities, curriculum content, credits, satisfaction level, academic progress and academic motivation,and finally, in the advanced coding stage, the categories revealed in the form of 6 dimensions of the paradigm model, with the relationships which are included in the pattern.&#x0D; Conclusion: The obtained strategic conditions indicated the existence of two important strategies including school budget and satisfaction level, two important consequences of progress and academic motivation to improve the quality of education of students.

Designing A Paradigmatic Model of Barriers to Innovation Management in Ahvaz Primary Schools

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to design a paradigmatic model of innovation management barriers in primary schools of Ahvaz city. Method: The research method was qualitative and, in terms of purpose, applied. The statistical population included experts in schools and universities, selected through purposive and snowball sampling. The research tool included semi-structured interviews, whose validity was established through face validity, and reliability was determined using the inter-coder agreement coefficient, resulting in 0.81. Data were analyzed using grounded theory method. Results: The findings revealed that causal conditions included understanding innovation characteristics, feeling the necessity for innovation, identifying individual differences among employees, managing information and communication technology, organizational culture, risk-taking in school employees, organizational structure, material resources, and transformative leadership; contextual conditions included individual characteristics of employees, employee experiences, individual characteristics of the manager, management style, organizational rules and regulations, organizational climate, and having an innovation model. Moreover, intervening conditions included psychological barriers, intolerance of ambiguity and failure, educational barriers, research barriers, performance evaluation barriers, structural barriers, human resource barriers, managerial barriers, and cultural barriers within the organization. Finally, strategic conditions included internal and external networking, division of labor, strategic management, committed and specialized human resources, politicization, having an innovative spirit among employees, the existence of a suggestion acceptance system in schools, administrative hierarchy, delegation of authority by the manager to subordinates, employee support, strategic planning, and the outcomes included increased mental health of employees and students, a creative school environment, a reward system for innovative and creative employees, a research-oriented culture, a learning organization, and improved educational quality. Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be said that the barriers to innovation management in primary schools of Ahvaz city are various factors, and the sub-system of education and management should prioritize and address these barriers.

An Account of University Professors’ Perceptions of Educational Knowledge and Pedagogical Skills in an Individual and Online Learning Education System: A Comparative Study

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to many changes in people’s lifestyles and governments’ policies worldwide. In the education area, there has been an increase in the use of online learning due to the necessity of social distancing and an interruption in the transmission of information. The present study aimed to determine differences between online and in-person education systems regarding teachers’ perceptions of educational knowledge and pedagogical skills during the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, 1,500 teachers were selected from universities with in-person classes and 1,400 instructors were chosen from online universities in the cities of Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, Yazd, Tabriz, Ahvaz, Zanjan, and Arak, Iran, in 2022. Notably, the teachers were active in the fields of general and business English. Overall, a questionnaire including 30 items was applied, and each item scored teachers’ educational knowledge and pedagogical skills based on their perceptions using a 5-point Likert scale. Data analysis was performed using MANOVA. According to the results, there was a significant difference between online and in-person education systems regarding general English teachers’ perceptions of their educational knowledge and pedagogical skills. Similar results were obtained for business English teachers. In fact, general and business English teachers of in-person universities had a higher perception of their educational knowledge and pedagogical skills compared with teachers of online universities.

Analyzing the process of physical development of the city and presenting its appropriate strategic model, case study: Ahvaz city

Analyzing the process of physical development of the city and presenting its appropriate strategic model, case study: Ahvaz city

Investigating the effect of dust on the economy of Ahvaz city

Investigating the effect of dust on the economy of Ahvaz city

Molecular Identification of Free-living Amoebae Isolated from Hospital Water Systems in Southwest Iran.

Free-living amoebae are opportunistic amoebae that usually live freely in various environmental conditions, including warm water and even in water supply network pipes and reservoirs connected to water. In addition to living freely, these protozoa are able to attack the host's body when they enter a human or animal body. Therefore, it is necessary to identify their presence in water resources. So, this study aimed to identify free-living amoebae isolated from water reservoirs of hospitals in southwest Iran. A total of 80 water samples were isolated from the hospitals of Ahvaz city, southwest Iran, and their physical and chemical parameters were measured. The samples were then put into non-food agar culture medium and stained using the Wright-Giemsa staining. Finally, the samples were identified by the PCR molecular method. The mean pH and turbidity values were 7.57 ± 0.03 and 3.31 ± 0.26 nephelometric turbidity unit (NTU), respectively. The mean residual chlorine and electrical conductivity were 0.91 ± 0.02 and 1122.39 ± 24.31, respectively. In addition, 9 (11.25%) and 3 (3.75%) samples were contaminated with Acanthamoeba spp. and Naegleria spp., respectively. However, no positive cases of Balamuthia spp. infection were observed. Moreover, two samples were co-infected with Acanthamoeba spp. and Naegleria spp. Due to the existence of free-living amoebae in water storage tanks at hospitals, it is necessary to prevent possible contamination with these amoebae and infectious agents by using new methods of disinfection and purification of water resources.

Effectiveness of Olson’s Enrichment Training Program and Johnson’s Relationship Enrichment on Emotion Regulation and Empathy in Maladjusted Couples

Background: Developing and promoting empathy between couples can help them deal with destructive communication patterns, increase their satisfaction through effective dialogue and conversation, and, as a result, create a safe place to meet emotional needs. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Olson’s enrichment training program and Johnson’s relationship enrichment on emotion regulation and empathy in maladjusted couples in Ahvaz City, Iran. Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group. The research population included all maladjusted couples who were referred to Ahvaz’s counseling centers in 2021. Among them, 45 couples meeting the inclusion criteria were selected via the convenience sampling method. The participants were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group (n=15). The first experimental group participated in eight 90-minute sessions of Olson’s enrichment training program, the second experimental group attended eight 90-minute sessions of Johnson’s relationship enrichment, and the control group received no intervention during this time. The participants responded to the difficulties in the emotion regulation scale (DERS) and basic empathy scale (BES-A). The data were analyzed using multivariable analysis of variance (MANCOVA) and Bonferroni post hoc test in SPSS software, version 26. Results: The results suggested that Olson’s couple enrichment training and Johnson’s training model improved emotion regulation and marital empathy in the couples. The results demonstrated that Johnson’s approach was more effective than Olson’s approach in improving couples’ empathy (P&lt;0.001). Conclusion: Olson’s enrichment training program and Johnson’s relationship enrichment were effective in improving emotion regulation and marital empathy among maladjusted couples. Therefore, Olson’s enrichment training program and Johnson’s relationship enrichment workshops can effectively help maladjusted couples mitigate emotional problems.

Investigation of asbestos concentration in ambient and lavage fluids of patients referred for bronchoscopy, Ahvaz.

The amount of fibers in the lungs is considered to reflect the cumulative intensity of past asbestos exposure, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) has been proposed to be a good indicator of the presence and quantity of asbestos particles in the lungs. This study evaluated the asbestos concentration in BAL fluids of asbestos-exposed and unexposed pulmonary patients and the environment of Ahvaz city. This prospective study was conducted on 80 patients underwent diagnostic fiberoptic bronchoscopy referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2019. Patients with Lung diseases were divided into three groups based on CT scan results: normal (n = 32), lung cancer (n = 40) and Interstitial lung disease (n = 8). The analysis of asbestos fiber concentration in BAL fluid was carried out by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The positive asbestos test was detected in 69% of all subjects, including 64% of whom had asbestos-related jobs and 74.5% of those with non-related jobs (p = 0.240). The concentrations of asbestos fiber in the BAL in normal patients, lung cancer and interstitial fibrosis (ILD) were 8.13 ± 5.38, 9.66 ± 7.30 and 6.31 ± 1.98 f/ml, respectively (P = 0.492). There was no significant difference between the asbestos levels and exposure history (P = 0.877). The mean concentration of asbestos in the ambient air during the current year was 2.69 ± 0.57 f/ml (2.26-3.70), and the correlation between asbestos levels in BAL and the air was not significant (r = 0.147; P = 0.243). The exposure of different occupational and non-occupational groups to this carcinogenic substance indicates the need for environmental and individual control measures to reduce and prevent asbestos exposure.

Status of anti-HEV IgG and IgM antibodies among the hemodialysis patients in southwest region of Iran.

Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) account for acute hepatitis, fulminant liver failure and chronic hepatitis worldwide. Several high risk groups including hemodialysis (HD) patients are at risk of HEV infection. Based on consequences of HEV infection it is important to determine the serological and molecular epidemiology of HEV in HD patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of HEV antibodies and HEV RNA in HD patients. The sera of 84 HD patients were collected and tested for anti-HEV IgG and anti IgM antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at Golestan hospital in Ahvaz city during October 2014 and November 2014. HEV RNA was tested in HD patients using RT PCR. The prevalence of anti-HEV IgG was evaluated in the age group (52/84) > 50 and (31/84) < 50 years. Out of 84 patients, 52 (61.9%) were males and 32 (38.1%) females. The mean age of participants was 52 ± 1.57 years. 43/84 (51.19%) cases including 26/52 (50%) males and 17/32 (53.1%) females were positive for anti-HEV IgG (p=0.95). Among the 43 cases positive anti-HEV IgG 8 cases including 5 (9.61%) males and 3 (9.37%) females tested positive for anti-HEV IgM (p=0.729) while the HEV RNA was negative in HD patients. The distribution of anti-HEV IgG was 62.75% and 33.33% among the age group >50 and <50 respectively (p=0.015). This study showed high prevalence of anti-HEV IgG antibodies (51.19%) were observed among the HD patients while the HEV RNA tested negative in HD patients. The rate of HEV IgG is significantly higher with increased age. Further investigation require to identify the factors account for high seroprevalence of HEV in Ahvaz HD units.

Effect of lifestyle on the quality of life and general health of the elderly in Ahvaz, Iran

Background and Objectives: The study of the demography of aging in developing countries is a relatively new endeavor. This study aims to determine the effect of lifestyle on the quality of life and general health of the elderly in Ahvaz, Iran. Methods: This descriptive survey study was conducted on 1000 older adults aged &gt; 60 years in Ahvaz city in 2020. Data collection tools were a demographic form, the lifestyle questionnaire, the older people’s quality of life questionnaire, and the general health questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, frequency, and percentage) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation test or Spearman correlation test). The significance level was set at 0.05. To test the conceptual model of the study, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used in AMOS software. Results: All t coefficients for the factorial structure of the study model were greater than 1.96 and, thus, all study hypotheses were confirmed. The results showed that the lifestyle of the elderly had a significant effect on their general health. Conclusion: It is necessary to increase the knowledge of healthy lifestyle in the elderly living in Ahvaz city by using educational programs such as stress management training, healthy nutrition education, and recreational and sports programs.